Every Sunday, I look forward to what I call my “Sunday self-care routine”. Ever since I started working my first 9-5 job after graduating college, I’ve made it a priority to relax and enjoy myself during the weekends. Doing my favorite things to start the week on the right note is what I need to make sure I can put my best foot forward. Here are the activities I love to do every week in my self-care Sunday routine:
- Put away my phone: Since my work revolves around social media, I tend to avoid it during the weekends. Scrolling on different social media apps triggers “work mode” for me, so I usually just put my phone away entirely to avoid the temptation of scrolling.
- Light a candle: The space around me has a huge impact on my mood, so the first thing I do is turn off the lights and find a candle that sets the scene. Most of my candles in frequent rotation are from The Burlap Bag, but recently, I’ve really enjoyed this candle called Forest Bathing from Anecdote Candles.
- Listen to cocktail jazz: In addition to setting the scene with lighting, I also love this cocktail jazz playlist or this rainy day jazz playlist on Spotify that instantly makes me feel relaxed and at ease.
- Take a bath or shower: If I lived closer to a body of water, you’d be sure to find me at a beach, lake, or river every Sunday. In the meantime, a bath or shower accomplishes something similar for me. Water is so therapeutic, and I love the feeling of “washing” all the stress I might be feeling. When I have time, I love to run a bath with this amazing shower caddy. Most weeks, a longer shower is what I can manage, and I enjoy every minute of it!
- Throw on a bathrobe + slide into slippers: The best things I’ve gifted myself as of late are really good things to wear at home like bathrobes, slippers, and loungewear. After taking a bath, my favorite thing to do is slide my feet into these fuzzy slippers, toss on my bathrobe (similar linked), and sit on the couch or my bed. Most weeks, I’ll just sit there with my eyes closed. Other weeks, I’ll spread on this AHA/BHA face mask and sit until it’s ready to rinse off.
- Make a cup of tea: Sometimes it’s a teabag, sometimes it’s hot water with a squeeze of lemon. Any hot liquid is so soothing to hold and to drink. I love making a habit of doing it while I still have my bathrobe and slippers on, so I’m still comfy and relaxed.
- Paint my nails: As some of you might already know, I exclusively paint my nails at home. I’ve been making a habit to do them myself rather than going to a salon to save money. I’ll typically sit next to my candle and just paint away! Olive & June products have been my favorite, but the most important part of the whole routine is making sure my cuticles are moisturized. I love this one by CND.
- Slather my feet in lotion: I have very dry skin, including my feet. After my nails are dry, I’ll dip my fingers into a tub of Aquaphor, slather it on my feet, and slip into a pair of socks.
- Read a book: If I’m not already tired after everything, I’ll sit in my bed and read something on my Kindle. I love being able to switch books easily if I need.
- Bible journaling: If I’m not in the reading mood, I’ll pull out my Bible, journal, and start lettering different verses or just scribble away my thoughts on a passage I’m reading. I have this ESV Study Bible and I love that it comes with lots of footnotes and illustrations.
My Sunday Scaries come on pretty strong, so incorporating self-care into my routine every week has changed everything for me. When I give myself permission to do things I love rather than dwell on things I haven’t done or have yet to do, I’m more likely to show up feeling excited and eager to get on with my work week.
Have you started your own self-care routine? Do you like to do it daily or weekly? What are some activities you like to do? Let me know in the comments below.
